Sanguine Petals
by Pyro Flare
Summary: Zaheer has been subdued, but the Red Lotus is still at large, with various cells all over the world coming out of hiding. The world needs the Avatar now more than ever— especially when one Red Lotus cell becomes a worldwide threat after developing a plague that brings the dead back to life as ravenous zombies. Will this prove to be a threat not even the Avatar can conquer?
1. Misery

Disclaimer: I own nothing except original characters, of course. This story takes place after Book 3 and will be developed separately from Book 4, but since that's coming in just a few weeks after I post this story, I will probably adapt certain helpful setting details such as who the Fire Lord is (other than "Zuko's daughter", for instance.

A/N: The concept for this story came to me after I commissioned a picture of a zombified Korra. Ideas began to trickle into me from that concept, and I foolishly allowed them to grow and prosper instead of being lazy about writing. Those ideas matured into something quite different than their initial inception now, and while I may not be able to completely escape putting zombies in my fanfictions, this will, by far, focus on them the least. Read, review, and enjoy!

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><p>Sanguine Petals, Chapter 1:<p>

Korra curled herself up tighter underneath the sheets in her bed, pulling them to cover the glimmer of light seeping through the cloth. Some amount of time had passed since Jinora's ceremony in which she was declared a master airbender. It may have been a week, but she really didn't care. Ever since Zaheer had been defeated, she had felt absolutely miserable. All she had done this day is close the curtains and seclude herself in her unlit room. It sickened her that she did not congratulate Jinora at all, but that just further exemplified how worthless she was.

Her good friends had offered her many helping hands since she became crippled a few weeks ago. She accepted their help at the beginning, but her mood gradually deteriorated until she cast all of them away. It didn't feel right to interact with them, to have them see her as the helpless, useless excuse for a human being that she was. Turning them away only made her feel worse. They wanted to help her, and all she could do was shout at them...

Tears welled up in Korra's eyes as she began to sob. She hated her current weakened state. Her spirit was on the brink of despair. It seemed as if she had regained enough strength to walk yesterday, but it was not long before she collapsed, her hopes falling with her. She was nothing, and her friends couldn't ease her pain.

She had heard them talk about getting Kya to help her at some point, but she knew not how long ago that was. There was no reason to keep track of time anymore. The Red Lotus essentially succeeded in their goal. With the airbenders acting on her behalf, there was no use for the Avatar anymore. And with her freedom crippled to be hopelessly dependent on others just to perform basic life functions, there never would be a use for her again.

There was a knock on her door, and it opened up.

"Korra, I brought you some lunch. You need to eat," Mako said.

"GET OUT!" Korra yelled at him, but her voice was hoarse and weak, hardly at the volume of a shout.

"But Korra-" Mako began.

"Just leave me alone!" Korra cried. How could she treat Mako in such a way? She was scum...

Mako sighed and placed the tray he was holding on the end table next to her bed. He said nothing and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him. Korra cried by herself for a bit until the smell of the food crept in under her sheets and hit her nose.

She wiped the tears from her eyes with a shaky hand as she emerged from the covers. Her stomach was growling loudly... it must have been at least a day or two since she last ate, but with her shattered perception of time, she had no method of knowing other than she was really hungry.

She reached for the glass of water to quench her thirst, but her hand was trembling out of her control. Another result of the poison the Red Lotus used on her... she tried to quell the movements of her arm, but was unable to make any leeway. She gritted her teeth as she gave up and grabbed the glass of water. She tried moving it not too quickly or slowly so it wouldn't spill from the sudden movement or her hand tremors, respectively, and managed to get the glass close to her. She lifted it to her mouth and tipped the glass, but her tremors made the water spill down her mouth and onto her bed.

She howled in frustration and anguish as she threw the glass against the wall, breaking it, and flipped the table containing her food. She retreated under the covers of her bed once more and balled herself up as she began to cry. She couldn't take much more of this...

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><p>Mako left Korra's room with a downtrodden expression on his face. Asami and Bolin were waiting outside.<p>

"I'm going to guess that it didn't go well because of that shouting?" Bolin asked.

"Of course it didn't go well!" Mako fumed. "I don't understand why she's being so difficult about this!"

"Come on guys, you can't blame her. You heard what the doctor said, right?" Asami asked.

"Actually, I forgot," Bolin sheepishly admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck. "There were an awful lot of terms I didn't understand, so I just kind of tuned out..."

"I can't believe you..." Mako sighed. Bolin was about to interject, but Asami cut him off.

"She had mercury poisoning, Bolin. That damages your nervous system. Her snappy attitude, depression, and physical weakness are directly caused by that."

"Any reason she's still like that? Aren't doctors supposed to make things better?" Bolin asked.

Mako pinched the bridge of his nose and grumbled under his breath at his brother's ignorance. "There's not any good treatments for mercury poisoning, Bolin. We're lucky she's even alive."

"Hey! I was tired! Is it my fault that I wasn't paying attention because of that?" Bolin exclaimed with exasperation. He pouted when Mako and Asami's countenances gave a resounding "yes, it was" response.

The three of them heard Korra roar in anger as something was thrown against the wall. Loud sobbing was heard after that. Mako reached for her door, but Asami grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"She needs help!" Mako snapped. "Are we just going to leave her in there in the dark as she cries herself to sleep? We're her friends! The doctor even said she needs to be outside and get as much fresh air and sunlight as possible! She's been in that room for two days now!"

"You'll just make things worse! I can tell that she hates being helpless like this!" Asami shouted back.

"I think we should cool things down, guys. She probably wouldn't want to hear us arguing about her," Bolin said quietly. Asami let go of Mako, who closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"So..." Bolin said, breaking the awkward silence, "...is she just supposed to get better or something?"

"We tried doing what the doctor said and seeing if she got better on her own, but that's not the case, seeing as she secluded herself shortly after Tenzin left with the other airbenders to assist the Earth Kingdom with its anarchy and Red Lotus uprisings," Asami explained. "And there were signs of it getting worse before he left, too."

"Tenzin didn't leave without Korra's health in mind. He contacted his mother and sister. They're going to get some spirit water to try and heal Korra. Hopefully they'll arrive sometime soon," Mako said.

"Hopefully the Air Nation is doing okay... that's a pretty big responsibility they've taken on," Bolin said glumly.

"Ugh, enough of this depressing talk," Asami said. "I know Kya and lady Katara will make Korra better, and right now she wants to be left alone... I think we should spend this day organizing a celebration when she gets better."

Mako smiled. "That's a perfect idea, Asami!"

"Yeah! We can get so many balloons! And a giant cake! Maybe someone inside the cake, too..." Bolin mused with enthusiasm.

"Bolin!" Asami chastised him.

"I was only kidding! Unless you'd think she'd like that. Would she?"

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><p>A woman sat at a tea house in the Fire Nation, flipping through a newspaper, one leg resting atop another, while occasionally sipping her tea. She was never really one for news, but ever since the Earth Queen's assassination she couldn't help but keep her eyes peeled for any new developments. It was her responsibility as one of the Red Lotus, after all.<p>

Zaheer had been defeated and imprisoned two weeks ago, so she was curious as to what would happen to him. The article her eyes fell upon answered it all: he was slated to be executed in a few days for his terrorist acts. She scoffed at that statement. Like the tyrants would understand their stance of liberating the people.

With some other articles covering the continued chaos in the Earth Kingdom, it appeared that some other Red Lotus cells were acting up. She had been on the fence about uniting her group once more, but the continued chaos settled it. Now was the most opportune time to act.

She took one last sip of her tea and placed a few coins on the table as she left the tea house. She brushed her ponytail off of her shoulder and took a deep breath of the air of the country that was her home. She hated this country so much, but she would not breathe the familiar air of where she was raised for quite some time, as now it was time to board a boat to Republic City. She was eager to see how far Ban had progressed since they last met...


	2. Cure

Sanguine Petals, Chapter 2:

Tenzin and some of the other airbenders were currently flying on sky bison to the large town of Hangyi in the Earth Kingdom, one of the current victims of a Red Lotus band liberating other towns in the area.

The last week had been quite a hectic one as they scrambled around the country in their attempt to help bring order back to the Earth Kingdom. They had only helped smaller towns, because they lacked the numbers to assist Ba Sing Se. The status of the capital city was not known well by the people outside of it, but the rumors did not sound pretty.

It only made sense to bolster their numbers while they assisted the smaller towns in fighting off the chaos trying to consume them. Bumi and some of the other airbenders had split off to locate any airbenders that they had missed during the first time recruiting was attempted. Even if they did not want to join the Air Nation, surely they would assist in helping to bring their country to peace once more.

"I see it!" Jinora exclaimed as she pointed to the ground. "But... are those walls around it?"

"It looks like an earthbender walled the place off," Tenzin observed. Sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed when they got closer and saw the jagged peaks surrounding the town. There were several plumes of smoke wafting into the air, but unfortunately this was all too common of a sight across the kingdom.

"Okay everyone, get ready!" Tenzin shouted to the other airbenders. "We're going to drop down into this town! Slow your descent like I taught you!" While they had done aerial drops on the past few towns they had to take back, some of the newer airbenders had made rough landings, so it was still necessary to remind them.

They all jumped off of the few sky bison present and began bending the air around their legs to slow their fall. Jinora had her airbender staff out and was gliding over the town, surveying it from above.

"Watch out!" she warned as she maneuvered out of the way of large rocks thrown her way. Looking down at their source, she could see a man with shaggy dark hair and a long goatee manipulating the earth around him. He shifted his aim towards the larger group of airbenders and lifted more rocks from the earth before bending them in that direction.

Tenzin unleashed a blast of wind to knock several of them off course, but their spread was much too wide. He heard one airbender cry out in pain as one of the rocks hit their leg, disrupting their bending and making them crash to the ground. That person probably wouldn't be walking again for a while.

Jinora swooped down and landed near the earthbender, swinging her staff to unleash a powerful wave of air towards him. He raised a wall of earth that took most of the blast before punching off sections of the wall towards the young airbending master.

The other airbenders landed, and Tenzin was quick on the assault, firing several blasts of wind towards the Red Lotus man, but their adversary was quick and astute, making more rocky defenses to keep him rooted in place.

"Looks like you're out of luck here, airbenders!" the man boasted.

"That's what you think!" Jinora exclaimed as she formed an air scooter beneath her and began to circle around him. Tenzin was about the assist his daughter, but he heard commotion behind him. He turned around to see that another Red Lotus man was attacking the other airbenders.

"I can handle him, dad!" Jinora exclaimed as she darted around segments of rock being fired at her. Tenzin nodded and ran towards the other airbenders, who were facing a man that had a long braided ponytail and several large metal rings around each arm. This man was not bending, but he did appear to be a skilled martial artist, avoiding most of the air blasts coming his way with acrobatics.

Tenzin saw the man take down two airbenders with arm strikes. Those rings must be quite heavy if they could take down a grown man in one blow. Without bending, however, this fight would be simple.

"The great Tenzin, here to save the day!" the man exclaimed sardonically. "To restore the tyrannical order once more!"

"It is not your call to enforce anarchy on these people! Why do you think they are hiding in their homes at this moment?" Tenzin asked.

"Enough of this... we're not here to discuss ideologies..." the man said as he assumed a combat stance.

"I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, you will never even touch me," Tenzin said. The Red Lotus man charged towards him, and he fired a few blasts of air. The martial artist avoided them like usual, but Tenzin had a trick up his sleeve. Before the blasts of air dissipated, he curved them around. They struck the Red Lotus man in the back, launching him towards Tenzin, who finished him off with a hammer blow of air that sent him crashing face first into the ground.

With that man disposed of, Tenzin turned around to see Jinora continuing to circle around the earthbender, who was still keeping up his defensive assault. Tenzin knew immediately what she was planning, and smiled as he saw her leap off of her air scooter and sail above the man. One decisive blast of air in the open spot of his rocky shield was all it took to bring him down.

As the father-daughter pair ran over to assess the injured airbenders, people began to come out of their homes. It looked like those two were the only Red Lotus members present in Hangyi, then.

"These people need medical attention!" Tenzin called out to the people of the town. It looked like they would be staying in this town for a few days...

"Dad, it's okay," Jinora said, placing a hand on her father's shoulder as she saw the worry and frustration written on his face. "We're helping the others as best as we can. Staying here for a while won't hurt anything."

Tenzin sighed. "Looks like you could tell what I was thinking. You're right. Rushing things is just going to get us killed."

Tenzin stood up after inspecting the injuries on the man that had fallen the first time. He had it the worst off with a broken leg... it was likely he would have to be left behind after the others recovered from their bruises gained from the martial artist. The people of the town were clamoring about, likely checking if their town was still okay, as well as locating a doctor for their saviors.

"I sure hope they have an earthbender here..." Jinora said as she looked at the earth walls the earthbender had formed around the town.

"Thank you for saving our town!" a woman exclaimed as she ran up to them. Judging by the number of people behind her and their expectant stares, this was the doctor. "Please, let's get the injured up as best as we can. I'll help to the best of my abilities..."

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><p>Pema stared out a window looking out into the ocean, absentmindedly watching the waves gently roll against the shore of the island. She was reflecting on the events of the past week; it was tough thinking about what her husband and daughter were going through, as well as the sorry state that the Avatar was in. Korra's friends even stopped by, but not even they could make her snap out of it.<p>

She was stirred out of her thoughts when she heard a baby's cry. "Don't worry little Rohan, mommy's here," she cooed softly as she walked over to a crib and pulled up her youngest son. While she rocked the fussy baby in her arms to attempt to calm him down, she made her way over to where a bottle was kept.

Once Rohan was quieted down, she returned to gazing out the window, but this time she saw a boat sailing towards the island in the distance. There was no mistaking it... it was from the Southern Water Tribe! Pema made her way to the dock of the island, with some of the White Lotus guarding the Avatar meeting her on the way.

When they arrived, they saw Katara walking off of the ship, Kya trailing her with her lone crutch for support.

"Oh, it's so good to see you!" Pema greeted as she walked over to Katara, who smiled at seeing her newest grandson.

"Hey! How come you didn't tell us grandma was here?" Meelo asked with a whiny pout as he and Ikki zoomed towards them on air scooters.

"Yeah! No fair!" Ikki complained.

"She just got here, kids!" Pema exclaimed with a sigh.

"Come here, grandchildren," Katara said with a smile. Meelo and Ikki grinned back and hugged their grandma.

"How come you didn't attend Jinora's ceremony?" Ikki asked once the embrace had concluded.

"I really, really wanted to... but a group of hunters were injured when a pack of wolves ambushed them. A little boy that was with those hunters got very hurt. I had to be responsible and heal them before I could come here," Katara explained.

"How's Korra?" Kya asked as she limped past Katara and looked at Pema. The way she said that indicated that business had to be done.

"Yes... how is she?" Katara asked with concern.

"She's not doing well at all..." Pema said with a heavy sigh. "She's just been under the sheets of her bed for the past few days. She won't eat, she yells at anyone who tries to help her... she's absolutely miserable. I'm worried that she might... you know..."

"Is Korra going to be okay?" Ikki asked anxiously.

"Maybe she's just reeeeaaaally tired?" Meelo suggested.

"We're going to make sure she's fine," Katara said with a smile towards her two grandchildren. "But we need to be left alone so we can focus on helping her, okay? And don't worry... you'll have plenty of time to be with grandma."

This response satisfied the two children. "You better not leave right away!" Meelo exclaimed as he and Ikki raced off elsewhere on the island once more as they formed air scooters.

"Have you done anything to help her?" Kya asked the two White Lotus men.

"Her friends have been trying to do that... seeing as how she yells at even them, I don't think a stranger offering assistance is the best idea..." the man said sheepishly.

"We shouldn't dawdle. I, too, fear that she may be suicidal," the other White Lotus member said. The two led Pema, Kya, and Katara to Korra's chambers. Pema handed off Rohan to Katara and walked towards the door, knocking on it a few times.

"Korra? Katara and Kya are here. They're going to make you better again," Pema said sadly. She bit her lip and braced herself for another outburst from the Avatar, but nothing happened. Pema reached for the doorknob, hesitated, and then opened it.

Korra was lying in bed, staring at the wall with an empty gaze. The tray of food that Mako brought to her earlier was on the ground, and most of the wood was likely on the wall.

"No... I deserve this..." Korra mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Korra..." Katara said sadly, but Kya walked towards the Avatar indignantly.

"Cut the feeling sorry for yourself crap! You don't deserve this at all! Nobody does!" Kya shouted. Korra slowly turned to look at her, showing that she had deep bags under her eyes.

"I know you hate this, but... please... let me help you on your wheelchair. One last time," Pema pleaded. Korra mouthed some words, but no sound came out. She glanced down in submission and allowed Pema to move her to the wheelchair. Korra shut her eyes tightly as she was wheeled out into the light, and she did not open them for the remainder of the trip back down to the docks. She was wheeled onto the boat and led to a large vat that contained a lot of water.

"This is spirit water, Korra. It would have taken a long while to gather this much, but fortunately the Northern Water Tribe was able to lend a substantial amount from the Spirit Oasis. Though for us to work at our best, you'll need to be mostly submerged in the water with your clothes off. I know this must be humiliating for you, but we need to undress you..." Katara explained.

Korra slowly opened her eyes and pursed her lips. She would have balled her hands up into fists if they weren't shaking so much.

"Please, leave us be," Kya said to the others. "The Avatar needs her privacy, and we will need to focus soon."

It was not long before the three water tribe women were alone. Katara walked over to Korra and began to take off her shirt. Korra started to cry and sob as the feeling of complete helplessness returned. She wanted to lash out and scream, but she was clinging on to the hope that these two could bring an end to all of this pain.

"There, there... it's okay now..." Katara said as she finished undressing Korra. She and Kya helped Korra into the bath of spirit water, and Korra closed her eyes as the two healers began their work.

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><p>The woman took a deep breath of the ocean air as she walked out onto the deck of the ship heading towards Republic City. It was such a relief to get away from the filthy stench of the Fire Nation. They may have tried their hardest to cover it up, but she could still smell the blood from the Hundred Year War all over the country. A whole nation of savages trying to pass themselves off as civilized...<p>

"Hey there!" she heard a man greet. "What takes you to Republic City?"

She really didn't want to engage in conversation, but she sighed as she admitted to herself that there was little else to do on this boat. "I'm visiting up on an old friend."

"I hear you. I have family over there," the man said. Now he was getting comfortable next to her.

"Yeah... he stayed there to do a lot of research..." she said with a sigh. She had the sinking feeling that this guy was just trying to hook up with her.

"Yeah, Republic City does have the best libraries. All of those different cultures mixing together and all. I didn't happen to catch your name. I'm Toyoki," the man said as he extended a hand for a shake.

"Chizue," the woman said, slightly annoyed. She glanced at the man's hand, but did not shake it.

"Okay, sorry if I'm being too forward then," the man said with a smile as he shook his head and retracted his hand. "But I am curious about what he's researching."

She saw no reason to lie to the man, but there was absolutely no way he would get his hands on the whole story. "Avatar Yangchen. She was such a fascinating Avatar, and he wanted to learn more about her journeys."

"I'm not sure if you're going to find a lot about airbender history there," Toyoki said.

"'Learning is eternal. There is always knowledge to be gained, even from the smallest of sources.' Guru Lakshmi said that," Chizue said.

"Oh, you're big on Air Nomad culture, then?" Toyoki asked. "I mean, you just quoted one of those Gurus of theirs..."

"Yes, I am. Ban and I have studied quite a bit of Air Nomad culture, but Ban decided to see views of Avatar Yangchen as recorded in the history of other nations, while I have made a pilgrimage to each air temple, gaining all of the knowledge that I can."

"Wow, you guys seem really into this stuff. Is there any reason you're doing all of this research?"

"To plant the seeds of change..." Chizue said. She frowned when Toyoki continued to look clueless. "Not a lot of people know about the Air Nomads after the Fire Nation wiped them out. With the resurgence of airbenders in the world, we figured that it would be very helpful to compile as much information as possible to the new generation of Air Nomads."

"Well, that's a very noble goal. I wish you and your friend the best of luck," Toyoki said. There was a pause as nobody said anything. "Well... I can tell you don't really want to talk to me, but thanks for putting up with me, anyway. Good day to you, Chizue," Toyoki said brightly as he raised his hand in farewell and walked away.

Chizue sighed with relief... thank goodness that was over. She felt foolish for dropping part of the code the Red Lotus used to identify each other, but comrades could be found hiding in the unlikeliest of locations. Fortunately she was quickly able to spin a lie and smooth out what could have been very suspicious and awkward.

Her gaze returned to the sea. Hopefully Ban found what they had been looking for these past few years, because the historical accounts in the air temples only explained the events, not their cause. Finding this information was imperative to their goals. She had little doubt, for instance, that many attempts would be made on the Fire Lord's life by other Red Lotus members, but they would not succeed. But with what Ban may have found out, there would be no holding back the natural order anymore.

"Don't disappoint me, old friend..." Chizue said aloud as she decided to return to her cabin.


	3. Recovery

A/N: Book 4 started airing at this point. If there are some ideas that I can adapt, I will use them, but I'm not going to directly lift significant plot details from the show, nor will I alter anything that has already been written.

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><p>Sanguine Petals, Chapter 3:<p>

Every time Korra had drifted off to sleep since she had been poisoned, she kept being tormented by the adversaries of her past. These malicious dreams started off as hazy sensations that left minor feelings of dread, but as her illness progressed, so did they. The nightmares became real, and all of her regrets and fears came back to torment her. When her waking moments became absolute misery, she could not even seek solace in sleep. She dared not close her eyes for too long in fear that she visited the hell that was her dreams.

The nightmare was back again.

Korra was running through the burning city, out of breath, but she dared not slow her pace. The cries of the innocent entwined with the crackling flames were all that she could hear. She had failed to stop them once again. The sky being pitch black with the glowing red patterns of Vaatu laced across it was all the indication she needed.

She arrived at the city's central square and was greeted by several people crying her name. Korra stopped and caught her breath, looking up to see her friends and family all in a line, tied up and on their knees. Amon was at the end of this line, his hand over Tenzin's face.

"And so the legacy of the airbenders comes to a close..." Amon announced as he lifted his hand. He had taken away the bending of everyone tied up. Korra began to cry. She was too late!

"We have succeeded in our plan, Avatar Korra. There is nothing you can do now," she heard Zaheer say from behind her. "There is only one last step."

"The end of the Avatar," Unalaq concluded as he walked up to her from one of the side roads, a devilish grin on his face.

"Someone... someone help me!" Korra cried out, but it was in vain.

"There's nobody to help you. The Avatars are all gone," Amon said. "You're the only one left."

"But I can't..." Korra whimpered.

"That's right. You can't do anything," Unalaq said. "Now we will execute everyone important to you... this should draw out the Avatar state so we can end you once and for all."

"No!" Korra cried out as she tried to run forward and help her family and friends, but she was pulled back as a cold sensation washed all over her body. She looked down in fright to see a large mass of mercury holding her back and wrapped around her.

"NO!" she shrieked as she struggled against the liquid metal. She looked into the eyes of her parents was they pleaded for her to rescue her. Amon was walking over to them, blade in hand. He placed it against their throats.

"NO MORE!" Korra screamed as a ray of light pierced through the blackened sky. She broke free of her restraints, and the light grew stronger and wider, washing away Amon, Unalaq, Zaheer, her terrified friends and family, and the whole city, leaving her alone in a white void. This was not a cold and empty space... she felt at peace in this white.

* * *

><p>She knew now that the terrors in her mind were gone. She could finally rest.<p>

A day had passed since Katara and Kya arrived on Air Temple Island. After many hours, they had finally healed Korra the best they could. She spent the rest of the day, along with most of the current one, getting some much needed sleep. Mako, Asami, and Bolin had stopped by yesterday once they heard Katara had arrived, and, once informed of what was going on, they told Pema their plans for a celebration once Korra recovered. She loved the idea.

Pema was currently helping all of the others put the finishing touches on setting up the surprise party for Korra. Most of the Air Acolytes had left with the airbenders to help in any way they could, but a few stayed behind to keep watch over the temple. They had been a great help in setting up decorations in the dining hall.

Asami had ordered catering to go along with the large cake they had gotten Korra, and special notes were given to the caterer to have plenty of vegetarian dishes for the Air Acolytes, but she wasn't going to deny a few dishes that contained meat. Korra was probably starving, after all, and why deny her friend a special treat during this celebration?

"Man, Korra's going to _freak_ when she sees this!" Bolin exclaimed as he made the final adjustments to a banner hanging from the ceiling that said "Welcome back, Korra!" "The good kind of freak, right?" Bolin added.

"Of course. Katara said that she was all better," Mako said, rolling his eyes as he held the ladder that Bolin was climbing down from.

"Well, the only kind of freaks she's had have been the bad ones. You can't blame me for thinking otherwise!" Bolin said as Mako folded up the ladder and put it up.

"Yes we can," Asami said with a sigh as Mako ignored his brother. Bolin was about to interject, but Katara entered the dining hall, and everyone turned their heads as she entered.

"Get into position, everyone! Korra's about to arrive!" she exclaimed in a hushed whisper, as if someone would overhear her.

Everyone moved behind the banner and lined up to face the door. Everyone except Bolin, that is, who dived underneath one of the tables.

"Bolin, what the hell are you doing?" Mako asked.

"Isn't this a surprise party?" Bolin asked as he peeked out from underneath the table.

Mako sighed and placed his hand over his face. "_Yes_, but you can _clearly_ see it's not that kind of surprise! We're not here to give her a heart attack!"

"Nobody told me we were going to line up like that!" Bolin complained.

"Just get over here!" Asami shouted in a hushed tone. Bolin scampered out from under the table and quickly joined the lineup, apologizing as he accidently nudged some of the Air Acolytes too harshly as he fell in line.

It wasn't long after that they heard a door being slid open, accompanied by footsteps and the clack of crutches on the floor. Kya rounded the corner, but she was no longer using a crutch to support her injury. Korra followed behind her on a pair of crutches, glancing at the ground to make sure she didn't bump into anything.

"SURPRISE!" everyone shouted. Korra's head snapped back up from the unexpected noise as she stumbled from a misplaced crutch. Kya caught her and helped her back up. Korra's eyes began to water as a large smile spread across her face.

"You guys... I don't know what to say. Thank you all so much!" Korra exclaimed. The celebration had now begun, and people began lining up at the buffet table to get a meal after a brief period of congratulating Korra on her recovery. Korra seemed absolutely ecstatic at all of the food present, and eagerly filled her plate with as much as possible. Mako offered to carry her plate over to the table as she got back on her crutches.

"You look a lot better," Mako said with a smile as Team Avatar all sat at the same table and Korra began to dig into her plate.

"No I don't. I must look like a pig right now," Korra said, mouth half-full, as she continued to scarf down food while making various grunts of approval at the food's taste.

"You know what I meant," Mako said with a smile as he rolled his eyes.

"It's just good to see you being able to move around and do things on your own again!" Asami exclaimed brightly.

"Uh... maybe you should slow down," Bolin suggested. "Usually when you eat that fast-"

He was cut off as Korra began to hiccup quite rapidly. She chugged a glass of water to fight the infernal hiccups, and fortunately the liquid quelled them.

"...that happens," Bolin concluded.

"Yeah, yeah... you're right," Korra said as she took a few deep breaths to enjoy herself. "I can't really enjoy this meal at that speed anyway. I'm just so hungry..."

"You don't seem to be shaking anymore at least," Mako said, noticing that she had dexterously wielded her utensils and glass with no problem.

"Yep! Everything's fully functional again! Okay, not my legs... but they're getting there," Korra said.

"I noticed Kya is off of her crutch," Asami pointed out. "And how bad are your legs?"

"I guess she got treated while I was out. An injury from a fall would be nothing for spirit water healing. As for my legs, the mercury did some heavy damage to my muscles. The spirit water helped as much as it could, but I still need some recovery time. I can walk so long as I have something to lean on... it feels so great to be able to move on my own again. My arms are also weak, but they're not holding up my body, so they can do more," Korra explained.

"Korra! Korra!" Meelo and Ikki clamored as they walked by the table she was at on their way to get second servings from their much smaller plates.

"Hey guys! It's good to see you!" she exclaimed with a smile.

"I knew you would get better! You always come back stronger than ever!" Meelo exclaimed triumphantly.

"Yeah... I guess I do," Korra said, having a small moment of self-reflection.

"Come on, you two. Korra wants to catch up with her friends. She can play with you later," Pema said. Ikki and Meelo rapidly waved at Korra as they fell back to their mother.

"Speaking of catching up... I honestly don't know much of what happened while I was... out..." Korra said, more serious now.

"The airbenders left to help out the Earth Kingdom," Mako said. "There have been lots of other Red Lotus attacks all around the world. The police was been busy dealing with a few in the city, but they're mostly small-scale threats. I've heard it's been the same in the Water Tribes and the Fire Nation. The Earth Kingdom is in absolute anarchy, though..."

"Yeah... I was thinking of going to Zaofu to help out in any way I could," Bolin said. "But I couldn't leave without seeing you get better first."

"Well, now the whole Team Avatar can help out in the Earth Kingdom!" Asami exclaimed with a smile.

"Why is the Red Lotus just making small attacks with grunts? They nearly killed me... they can do better than this."

"Zaheer is being held in Republic City prison. He's going to be executed in a week. He's done little but meditate while in prison..." Mako said.

"And they just let him do that!?" Korra exclaimed. "He can contact other Red Lotus members in the spirit world!"

"There's not much they can do to stop him. But nobody's tried to break him out of prison, nor has anything significantly worsened in the Red Lotus cases across the world. I'm not sure if he even is contacting others," Mako said.

"I still need to speak with him. He could be planning something dangerous," Korra said with determination.

"Don't push yourself... you just got better," Asami said. Korra closed her eyes and took another deep breath to calm herself.

"Right. I'll speak with him after a slice of that cake! And maybe another plate first!" Korra exclaimed with determination.

* * *

><p>Chizue sighed with relief as she walked off of the boat and took her first steps into Republic City. She had heard a lot about the city from the letters Ban had written her over the years, but she had never been here herself. She was eager to see what her friend had discovered during her pilgrimage to the air temples. He had been purposely vague in their letter conversations, because she knew that he would babble about every single detail to her in person. The only problem is that she had no idea where he was currently at.<p>

Normally it would be quite the daunting task to track down one person in an entire city, but she had a strong suspicion of where his current whereabouts would be. Since Ban was a huge bookworm and very invested in their current project, he would likely be in the best library in town at the moment. If not, then describing him to the librarian would get her a huge lead in locating him.

After asking for directions, she made her way to the largest library in the city. She began scanning the multiple floors of this library, checking out everyone within but making sure to remain discreet. She was about to give up and ask the librarian until she saw someone that looked vaguely familiar browsing through some history books. It took her a bit before she realized that the man she was looking at was Ban. He had cut his normally scruffy hair and made it a lot more neat looking, similar to how he wore it as a child.

"To plant the seeds of change..." she said quietly as she walked up to her old friend.

"...sanguine petals must bloom," Ban absentmindedly muttered, finishing the Red Lotus' code. He was intensely focused on reading the spines of the books in this section and didn't quite realize what exchange had happened. He quickly snapped out of it and looked at Chizue, and his expression brightened up immediately.

"Chizue!" he exclaimed, his voice slipping out of the volume appropriate for libraries as he flung his arms around her.

"It's good to see you again," she said as she returned his embrace. She released him and asked, "How goes your progress?"

"Remarkably well, actually. We really shouldn't discuss things here," Ban said, pushing his glasses up and motioning for Chizue to follow him. He checked out the few books he had in hand when Chizue saw him, and walking a few streets over was the building that housed his apartment.

"Convenient location for you," Chizue remarked. Ban had always been a bookworm, so of course he would pick an apartment that was as close to the library as possible. Ban said nothing in response and continued leading Chizue to his room, which was quite high up in the complex.

Chizue marveled at just how nice his place was... and also how messy it was at the same time. It was quite spacious and had multiple rooms, but what she could see was a disaster. Books and notes littered the place, and there were a few desks cluttered with various chemistry tools.

"Sorry about the mess. I've been quite busy," Ban said as he homed in on a spot uncovered by anything, promptly covering it with the books he just checked out.

"How did you afford this place? Was it your parents? Or your work?" she asked, trying to find a place to sit down. Ban walked over to one of the desks hurriedly and brushed off a stack of books concealing a chair and offered it to his friend.

"I've actually made quite a bit of money making medicines and potions," Ban said. "But yes, my parents did help me out in getting this place." Ban's parents were lucrative traders, and it was during one of his family's business trips to the Fire Nation that they first met when they were children. They had kept in touch with letters for most of their lives, and the last time they saw each other in person was another of his parents' business trips to the Fire Nation a year ago. But by that time Chizue had swayed Ban to the ideals of the Red Lotus, and they began to hatch the plan that would hopefully finally bear fruit with this reunion.

"I see. I understand that you have the general idea of what my pilgrimage to the air temples revealed to me?" Chizue asked. She couldn't risk being too specific in her letters in case prying eyes fell upon words not meant for them.

"The plague that Yangchen dealt with in the Earth Kingdom, right?" Ban asked. "I believe you were implying that a spirit or spirits had to be involved in some manner?"

"That is what the surviving records in the air temples said, but unfortunately they were not specific enough. Good to see you've been on the right track these last few months... but I had no doubt you would figure out what to do," Chizue said, crossing her legs and becoming relaxed. The place may be a mess, but Ban certainly knew how to pick out a comfortable chair.

"Well, it has been rather... no, _exceedingly_ difficult trying to track down accounts of this plague in other texts. The vast majority of books that do refer to the plague simply call it such and provide absolutely no detail. Some Earth Kingdom books even skip over that part of their history entirely."

"But you _did_ find out things, didn't you?" Chizue asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I did. A few history books actually referred to the plague as something else entirely- beasts attacking the area, or bandits ravaging some villages. I assumed these events were unrelated, but when you saw that spirits were involved and mentioned that to me, I realized these events were one and the same. It was just a different form of censorship."

Ban smiled as he continued, "So instead of trying accounts of history, I instead turned to books detailing spirits. Spirit research in the past, bestiaries of spirits, and the like. It's been difficult getting some of these books since Harmonic Convergence has renewed interest in spirits. I would try asking some spirits if I knew how to communicate with most of them, but the ones that speak our language are usually grouchy and they certainly wouldn't take too kindly to my proposal, so I..." Ban trailed off as he noticed that Chizue was giving him a dirty look that signaled that he was getting off track.

Ban cleared his throat. "Anyways, I didn't find any direct leads pointing out what exactly caused the plague. There were a few death and corpse related spirits, but they didn't match the accounts you described to me."

"But you mentioned a 'grand discovery'," Chizue said.

"I did. I'll just cut to the point, since you're impatient right now. It was a spirit of disease that caused that plague. But he wasn't acting on his own. Some nobleman desired to gain more power by undermining his enemies with a disease. He sought out this spirit and ended up getting more than he asked for with the biological weapon given to him," Ban said.

"So I need to speak with this spirit then? That nobleman probably didn't just ask nicely to receive that present. Do you know of any catch?" Chizue asked.

"Unfortunately, I don't. I know the general area the spirit resides, but that's about it. But there is good news- my knowledge of chemistry and herbology was helped out a lot. Obviously I can't recreate the plague, but I have a few good mixtures that are highly likely to result in a similar substitute. I just need the key ingredient that the Spirit of Pestilence would have. Enough of it so I can make more concoctions if these mixtures fail. But that should make the bargaining end of things much easier on our part if we just ask for a component instead of a completed item."

"Okay... I can do that. Where does this spirit reside?" Chizue asked.

"The ancient swamps. The books don't go into too much detail, of course, but you're looking for a large, tree-like creature with lots of fungi on it," Ban said.

"Hmm... I've never been in the swamps before," Chizue mused. "But if this spirit is the key to our plans, then I must go there. You must pay attention to my body while meditating and snap me out of it if anything looks amiss, do you understand?"

"Of course. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's focusing on something," Ban said with an assuring smile as he stood up and offered a hand to his friend. "Fortunately my bed's not cluttered. You should be able to meditate easily there."

Chizue accepted his hand and stood up, following him to his bedroom. She sat upon his bed and assumed a meditative stance. Ban brought in a chair from another room, along with one of the books he had checked out from the library.

"Really?" Chizue asked.

"Don't worry! I have a routine here. I'll look up at you after every sentence. You'll be fine... I promise," Ban said.

Chizue sighed and closed her eyes, taking slow and steady breaths and focusing towards the inner calm that opened the gateway to the spirit world.


	4. Tranquility

Sanguine Petals, Chapter 4:

Despite the protests of her friends, Korra left the celebratory party early. She tried to kick back and enjoy herself more, but knowing that Zaheer could be pulling the strings of the Red Lotus from his cell was something that got under her skin. She _had_ to find out what he was up to.

She was currently sitting atop her bed in a meditative position. She knew exactly where Zaheer would be- in Xai Bau's Grove. She briefly hesitated upon remembering the trauma that he had put her through, but she shook the negative images from her mind. She closed her eyes and focused on her memories of the area, taking steady deep breaths and clearing her thoughts of anything else...

When Korra opened her eyes, she was now inside of the spirit world. The strange trees of the forest surrounded her, but she could see a clearing ahead. As she moved forward, she saw Zaheer resting against the trunk of a tree. He looked different since he now had a full beard and his hair had grown out to a short length, but Korra could tell it was him. A hot flash of anger surged through her, but she held it back when she realized that he was speaking with someone else.

Standing before him was a woman garbed in red and black. She had long black hair tied into a low and loose ponytail, and she also had short bangs. Korra repressed her emotions and listened in on their conversation, taking advantage of her current hidden status.

"Chizue, was it? Why do you want to know where the great swamp is?" Zaheer asked the woman.

A wicked smile crept up on the girl's face. "I don't think it would be very fun to spoil the surprise, but it holds something that is key to a grand liberation."

"Do you think because I reside in the spirit world often that I know where the swamps are located?"

"I do. You've always been the most spiritual of us elite few. Anyone paying attention could tell that. If you're being coy because you don't like me, then you're being a fool. I don't know how withholding this information will help the Red Lotus."

Zaheer raised an arm and pointed to his right. "Head in that direction. This forest will soon give way to the swamp. Be careful... the swamp is dangerous. Also, you might want to know that the Avatar is currently spying on us."

Korra cursed under her breath and emerged from her hiding spot. Chizue turned to face her, her expression a strange mixture of fascination and frustration. She definitely wasn't expecting the Avatar to show up. The woman said nothing before taking off in the direction that Zaheer pointed in.

"Hey! Stop!" Korra called out as she began to pursue the Red Lotus woman.

"Avatar Korra... I would advise you to not head in that direction. You came here to see me, did you not?" Zaheer spoke up. Hearing these words snapped her attention back to her original intention for coming here.

"I _knew_ you were giving orders to the Red Lotus!" Korra growled as she stomped towards the airbender.

"I'm glad to see that you have recovered," Zaheer said nonchalantly.

"Stop trying to change the subject!" Korra shouted. "Why on earth would you be glad that I recovered?"

"I failed to kill you. You thwarted my plans. Once I calmed down, I realized there was no real reason to harbor any resentment towards you. My tethers to the world were cut that day. Focusing on vengeance would just chain me to the earth once more."

"That's a lie! The Red Lotus are terrorizing the entire world! You just helped that woman! How can you say you don't want vengeance when you're spreading so much destruction! How many people have you given orders to? What is your plan?"

Zaheer sighed. "I think you have some misconceptions about the Red Lotus, Avatar Korra. I do not lead them. We have no leader... why would we have one if we seek to tear down the oppressive walls of hierarchy? I was merely the first one in our organization to make a bold move in a long time. My actions may have inspired fellow brothers and sisters of the Red Lotus to take up arms against the tyranny of government, but lead them I do not."

"What about that woman?" Korra asked indignantly. "You helped her!"

"I will give guidance to anyone that seeks me out, but that is the sole extent of my involvement with them anymore. I know my time left in this world is short. I have no reason to live, but I am not seeking death. Spending my remaining days in this grove... imparting what wisdom I can to people looking for help... I suppose that is my purpose in life now," Zaheer said, his gaze distant.

"What did that woman want?" Korra asked, her tone less harsh upon seeing Zaheer's resignation.

"You overheard the bulk of our conversation. I honestly do not know," Zaheer answered, his voice sounding a bit troubled.

There was a pause as Korra stared at her hated foe. This man had made her life a living hell. She didn't expect him to be so calm and polite now. She felt confused. It reminded her of hearing the stories of how vicious polar bear dogs were, and then learning how sweet Naga was. Still... there was no forgiving what this man had done.

"You can hate me if you want," Zaheer said, seemingly reading Korra's thoughts. "I will not hold it against you. I can't imagine what that dosage of mercury did to you."

"I do hate you. You came closer to killing me than any of the other threats I have faced in the past. Your poison dragged me down into my darkest moments. I was close to taking my own life to escape the hell I was in. And now it's the consequences of your actions that have the Earth Kingdom tearing itself apart. I just... didn't expect you to be so tranquil," Korra explained.

"I will not apologize for my actions. I wholeheartedly believed in them and mere words will not undo them. What I do regret is the anguish you have gone through. You were not meant to survive that, Avatar Korra. There was no need for you to experience that once I consigned defeat."

"I'm back on my feet now. Soon enough, I'll be stronger than ever! I'm going to stop the Red Lotus and bring peace back to the Earth Kingdom!" Korra declared.

"You always were a determined one," Zaheer said with a small smile. Korra began to fade from the spirit world as she began to wake from her meditation. "Even though you oppose the Red Lotus, I will not go back on my word. I will give advice to anyone who seeks me out in this grove. That includes you, Avatar Korra," he added before Korra departed.

Korra did not reply, but continued to stare at Zaheer, who continued to sit by the tree, remaining just as calm and peaceful as the forest surrounding him despite having only a few days to live.

* * *

><p>"...So at this point, we were surrounded! They tied some of my men up, including me. It was beginning to look like we wouldn't make it out of there," Bumi said with conviction.<p>

"Oh man! What happened next?" Kai asked, leaning forward with anticipation as Bumi's tale reached its peak.

"The fools had laid me down over a bed of flowers! Their pollen had coated me, and with the low buzzing sound I heard, I took a chance and rolled myself over. It was then that a swarm of bees descended upon us! I got a few stings from that, but it scared off those slavers and allowed us to live another day!" Bumi concluded.

"You are like, the greatest genius _ever!_" Kai said.

Bumi rubbed the back of his head as he smiled at the boy. "Thanks, Kai! You know, Tenzin could learn a thing or two from you. He thinks my stories are all lies and rubbish."

"He's definitely a prude, that's for sure. The only reason I'm with this group is because he wants to keep Jinora right under his nose," Kai said, pouting as he crossed his arms. "Not that I mind being here," he hastily added.

"Guys, I really don't think I should be leading everyone else," Opal said with mild worry as she frantically switched between looking down at the map in her hands and looking down at the landscape below.

"Very well... I suppose that's enough rest for me," Bumi said as he crawled over to the front of the saddle on the sky bison they were riding. While Tenzin's group of airbenders was the main attack force on any Red Lotus groups in the Earth Kingdom, Bumi was stuck with a smaller group that's main purpose was to recruit any airbenders that wished to fight the good fight. They still had their fair share of defeating bandits and a few minor Red Lotus groups, but things had been relatively calm for a while.

Bumi was following the places Tenzin had visited when he was searching for people to rebuild the Air Nation with. The farmlands drawing closer below belonged to Kuon, the first airbender that rejected Tenzin's offer. He certainly hadn't been the last, but the Red Lotus attacks had changed the minds of quite a few of the airbenders that turned Tenzin down.

As the pack of sky bison descended to the ground, Kuon and his family emerged from their home to see what all the commotion was about. Bumi jumped off of the sky bison before it landed, using airbending to slow his fall.

"Oh, great! It's you people again!" Kuon exclaimed with disgust.

"Let's calm down here. I know my brother was terrible at trying to convince you to join us, but-" Bumi began.

"I'm not going to 'calm down'! I have a farm to maintain and a family to care for! I'm not going to leave their side, _especially_ now that the Earth Kingdom's gone insane!" Kuon declared.

"And that's a perfectly understandable resentment. Yes, we're here to recruit airbenders, but it's tough times out there," Bumi said.

"That's an understatement..." Kuon's wife sardonically replied.

"What if your farm comes under attack? You'll need to be able to give those guys the ol' one-two!" Bumi exclaimed, punching two blasts of air off to the side.

"Are... are you saying that you'll train me?" Kuon asked skeptically.

"No strings attached!" Kai shouted from the sky bison.

"You can stay here with your family. All that we ask is to teach you some basic airbending techniques. Doing that is just another way to restore a tiny bit more stability to the Earth Kingdom," Bumi said with a smile.

"I'd like that," Kuon said with a smile.

A large grin spread across Bumi's face. He turned around to face the other airbenders. "See! This is how you conduct business!" he boasted to them.

* * *

><p>Chizue stopped sprinting when she was able to confirm that the Avatar was not in pursuit. She paused and caught her breath... she definitely didn't expect to see her when she went to speak with Zaheer. It would be of little consequence that the Avatar saw her, she determined. She didn't say much to Zaheer, after all.<p>

She had rested enough to recover from the exhaustion the running had given her. She wasn't as skilled at operating in the spirit world as others- her body wasn't synced up properly in areas and would still act as if she was in material world. The sensation of physical exhaustion was the primary trouble that she noticed, though she was sure that there were other issues.

Chizue continued moving in the direction Zaheer pointed her in, maintaining a brisk pace but not one that would tire her out too much. It was her own mixture of desire and impatience that was the reason for her speed. She could see the forest darkening as she pressed onward, though things were eerily quiet. She knew spirits were hiding from her, watching the intruder encroaching upon their lands, but she was unfettered by this and kept moving.

As the forest grew darker, so did it grow wilder. The trees became much thicker, with trunks and roots that appeared to be more vine than wood, spiraling outward in chaotic tangles. With her spirit unable to free itself from the concept of gravity, it became increasingly difficult for her to maneuver around the wild plants.

It was only when the sun was barely peeking through the slightest of gaps in the leaves above her that the ground gave way to noxious, sludge-like water. She did not hesitate as she walked into the water, because her sense of touch was dulled. From the looks of things, her sense of smell was nonexistent, because she imagined the stench from this water (if you could call it that) would be unbearable.

She trudged through the swamp, now being hindered by the tar-like consistency of the water. There were still numerous trees blocking most of the light from entering the swamp, but these were of a different kind than the ones she moved through earlier. She noticed that quite a bit of these trees had strange fungal growths on them.

Chizue picked up the pace as she felt movement in the water that was not her own. It was faint, but she could tell that several creatures were circling her in the distance. She had little idea if they were watching her like the other spirits, or if they were waiting to attack her. She suspected that her continued movement was what kept them at bay, but she didn't intend to find out.

As she continued her journey, she began to detect a strong source of spiritual energy deeper within the swamp. That had to be the spirit she was searching for. She could feel its presence in the water, in the fungal growth on the trees, and, disturbingly enough, in most of the smaller spirits in the waters that had not revealed themselves to her yet.

She knew not how long she moved in the unnatural silence of the swamp, heart hammering in her chest as the paranoia of the stalking spirits grew more and more. She kept a level head despite the fear she felt... that is, until the spirits swam away from her. She began to wildly look around, trying to make out what it was that drove them off. She detected a faint green glow in the distance... she had no idea what it was. The strong spirit energy had been wrapped around the entire area for a while. She took a deep breath and walked towards the light.

As she drew closer, Chizue saw that it was not one source of light, but several. It was more of the fungal growths, dotting the trunk of a massive, gnarled plant like a pox. She could not tell what this plant was, for it could easily have been an ancient tree or a thick mass of vines. What she did not expect was for the plant to move. As it turned to face her, she realized that this was no plant, but the very spirit she had been searching for: the Spirit of Pestilence, its energy wreathed all throughout the swamp.

"Who disturbs my rest?" the spirit bubbled, its voice an impossibly deep gurgle that was somehow still legible. It leaned towards her with a scrutinous gaze, its eyes and mouth glowing the same bright green as the fungal growths littering its body. From this distance, she could see that whatever plant-like substance that made up its body looked disturbingly like malformed entrails.

"My name is Chizue, O Great Spirit," she said with a polite bow, trying to keep her calm against the imposing, hulking figure before her. "I come here with one request."

"It is not often that humans seek me out," the spirit croaked. "Many are aware of the toxins that pour from my body and spill into their lands, bringing dismay and death into their worlds. The few that would know the proper source would revile me. Yet, before me, I see respect and eagerness. My memories are long and deep... and only one other human has approached me with such temperament."

"Hulin Yiu," Chizue said. "The nobleman that requested a specific kind of plague."

"Yes... I remember him more clearly," the spirit mused. "He requested I bring about a very peculiar plague, indeed."

"I seek the same disease."

The Spirit of Pestilence gazed upon the human girl before it in great interest. "That plague was stomped out by one of the Avatars. No doubt you know of the horrors it can bring." The spirit paused, awaiting a response from Chizue. All he received what a glint of manic glee in her eyes. "Hulin came to regret what he wished for. He sought to gain power, but instead he lost everything. With nothing to give me in return, the rest of his life was spent in absolute misery."

"Your words do not frighten me, Great Spirit," Chizue said with a cold smile. "I am aware of the capabilities of this disease. It is absolutely perfect as not only a tool of liberation, but also one of divine retribution. I am not asking for the entire disease, but merely the specific ingredient that corrupts the dead and brings them back."

"Chizue..." the spirit muttered, narrowing its eyes at her as it leaned closer, "You are a fascinating creature indeed. No doubt you are well educated on what you are requesting, yet you still seek it without a moment's hesitation."

"The only thing I am in the dark about is the price I have to pay."

"...I have been asleep for quite some time," the spirit said, standing up straight and glancing towards the sky. "I would never have expected to wake up to something like this. If you are confident you only need one ingredient, then I shall give it to you. The only condition is for you to spread the illness. Spread my children across the world."

Chizue was about to explain how Harmonic Convergence meant that transferring things from the spirit world to the material world was easier than ever, but the Spirit of Pestilence apparently picked up on this feeling in the atmosphere of the spirit world. It lowered one massive trunk-like arm into the water of the swamp, scooping up a handful of it and moving his hand close to Chizue. As the water sifted through the gaps in its branch-like fingers, several small mushrooms began budding on the spirit's palm before her very eyes. She picked the glowing green mushrooms off of his hand, and once she had finished, she began to fade away.

She opened her eyes, which were watering, and she began to gag. There would have been no way she could have accomplished this if her sense of smell carried over to the spirit world. A wretched stench had filled the room, and Ban was coughing profusely as he gazed at the mushrooms that appeared in front of Chizue on his bed.

"I'm glad you succeeded, but... hurgh..." Ban groaned as he got out of his seat and stumbled over to a window, opening it. Chizue ran out of the bedroom and into the bathroom to vomit. Ban pinched his nose shut and suppressed the urge to do the same as he went back into his main room and found a jar.

Returning to his bedroom, he placed the glowing mushrooms inside of it, shuddering as he felt their thick, slimy texture. He precariously let go of his nose and took a little sniff. He recoiled a bit, the indescribable odor still lingering in the air, but it wasn't strong enough to make him feel ill. At least, not immediately. Fortunately, the jar was able to lock the smell inside. Ban dreaded the moment he would have to open it again.

Chizue emerged from the bathroom, still looking queasy. "I can still taste it in the back of my throat..." she grumbled.

"I'm pretty sure I'm going to need new sheets. And a new mattress," Ban said with a frown as he glanced into his bedroom, seeing a thick green-brown pool of liquid sitting atop it.

"Anything to get some fresh air. That window's not cutting it."

The two quickly left the apartment and took several grateful deep breaths. With their noses mostly cleansed, it was time to replace Ban's tainted bed. At least he had a store in mind, so this ordeal wouldn't tale up all day. The only downside would be returning to his apartment later...


	5. Conference

Sanguine Petals, Chapter 5:

Korra awoke from her meditation and decided to learn more about the current Red Lotus situation. There was one man that she knew would have his hands full dealing with this conflict- President Raiko. Their relationship had been a shaky one, but this was one issue that they could both support. Stopping the Red Lotus and establishing peace once more was her current priority, and this would be the first step towards that goal.

She returned to her celebratory party once more, but had to decline those wishing for her to relax and have fun. Raiko needed to know that she was well again. The _city_ needed to know she was well again. Asami reluctantly agreed to drive her there, but only on the condition that she came back and relaxed after. Korra was going to argue, but Mako pointed out that she still had trouble walking, which she had to agree would hinder any strenuous activity such as fighting people.

Mako and Bolin decided to tag along to keep Asami company while Korra spoke with Raiko. Upon arriving in front of city hall and exiting the car, Korra noticed a stand with a podium had been erected in front of the building. Quite a bit of the press was standing about, but thankfully none of them noticed her as she went inside. She didn't feel like dealing with them just yet.

After struggling to walk up the stairs while both holding her crutches and leaning against the handrail for support, Korra entered the building and walked up to the receptionist, taking off her crutches and leaning against the desk once she reached it.

"I'd like to see President Raiko. This is important," she said. The receptionist was busy glancing down at the paperwork she was doing. "You need to schedule an appointment..." she sighed. She took a glance up and her eyes widened when she noticed she was speaking to the Avatar. "Oh! The Avatar! I'm sorry; I didn't know you were better!"

"That's fine. Can you just tell him I'd like to speak with him?" Korra asked. The receptionist nodded and picked up a telephone. After a brief and hushed conversation, she hung up and gave Korra the go ahead to head up to Raiko's office. She took her crutches and began making her way there, wondering if she would really have to travel like this all the way there. Fortunately, one of the government workers offered to assist Korra in walking up any stairs in the building, speeding up the trip significantly.

"Korra! So good to see you!" Raiko greeted with a smile as Korra entered his office. He motioned towards a chair positioned in front of his desk. He seemed to be occupied with a document on his desk, because he quickly returned to reading it as Korra sat down.

"Things seem awfully busy around here. Is something going on?" Korra asked.

"Yes. There's going to be a public hearing about the Red Lotus soon. I'm just giving my speech a quick read over. Your timing is great," Raiko said.

"It is?"

"I would like you to make an appearance during the hearing. The people will be overjoyed to see the Avatar back on her feet."

"I suppose I can," Korra said, slightly unsure. "I came here to ask about the Red Lotus, after all. I don't know much of what's been going on since I've been... out of it."

"Then this hearing is perfect for you to attend. It should bring you up to speed, along with a lot of the people in this city," Raiko said, still focusing more on memorizing his speech than speaking with Korra.

There was an awkward moment of silence. "I guess I'll be seeing myself out, then..." Korra said with annoyance as she grabbed her crutches and stood up.

"I'm sorry for being rude right now. We can speak after the hearing if you still have any questions," Raiko said, still not taking his eyes off of the document as he flipped the page.

"I came here with my friends. They're outside. Just so you can find me before the hearing starts," Korra said, shaking her head at Raiko's inattentiveness. She didn't even know if he heard that, and she frankly didn't care if he did.

"Is everything okay?" Asami asked when Korra left the city hall and walked up to her friends in a huff.

"Other than the president being more concerned about his speech than my well being, I'm just peachy!" Korra shouted in exasperation. She noticed that Mako was being pouty. "What's your problem?" she asked, trying to hold back her anger so she didn't snap at him.

"I took today off to celebrate your party. Since I showed up at the hearing anyway, looks like I'm on the clock," he said with a sigh.

"The police are here?" Korra asked, looking around the crowd gradually growing around the stands. She did seem to eye a few of the force patrolling around.

"Raiko's the head of government in Republic City. He's going to be a target for the Red Lotus," Bolin said. "I think having most of the police force here is a little much, but considering how the Earth Kingdom is..."

"Avatar Korra!" they heard a man exclaim. They turned and Korra saw the man that had helped her up the stairs in the city hall running towards them. He paused and caught his breath. "The hearing is about to start. Please, follow me. Your friends can come, too."

They did as instructed, and were led up the stage. There were a few rows of chairs behind the podium, with several people sitting already. The amount of people present masked Korra from the press, of which she was thankful. The seats reserved for them were in the back row, and Lin was sitting next to them.

"Hey, Korra. Good to see you're all better now," the chief of police said with a seldom-seen smile. "Thanks," Korra replied as the four took their seats and watched the crowd continue to gather from their new vantage points.

"Who are those guys?" Bolin asked, pointing to a much smaller row of only five chairs. One of them was empty, and it was the middle chair that was also positioned directly behind the podium. That was likely were Raiko would be sitting. There was only one woman in this row, garbed in formal clothing reminiscent of the Water Tribe. Korra thought that she looked quite familiar, but she couldn't place where she had seen her before.

"Those are the ambassadors from the other nations," Lin answered. "Frankly, I'm surprised the Earth Kingdom's ambassador is still here. I guess that's something of a good sign, but I'm not sure myself. Looks like we'll hear the situation from him soon enough."

There wasn't much else to say, as the hearing was about to begin. The press got their cameras and pencils ready and the crowd hushed itself as Raiko emerged from the building. Before the storm of camera flashes ensued, Korra happened to notice a familiar face in the crowd. She leaned towards the chief of police.

"Lin... I've seen that woman before. She was talking to Zaheer in the spirit world..." Korra whispered to her. She was about to point her out, but the bright flashes of the camera lights began flickering as Raiko took the podium.

"If you think so, try and keep an eye on her," Lin whispered back. "You're going to have to adapt to these flashes," she added.

Korra sighed. Now she had to pay attention to a speech _and_ keep a lookout for that woman...

* * *

><p>Chizue sighed as she walked with Ban in the direction of the furniture store. Her friend was currently fretting over something (likely insignificant), and it was agitating her that he wasn't sharing his thoughts.<p>

"I'm right here, you know," Chizue said. "What's the problem you're having?"

"The furniture store is quite a ways from my apartment. I don't think the two of us could carry a new bed all the way there. Even if we do reach the building, there's still all those stairs..." Ban mused.

"So hire some people to take it there for you. Surely they have those at the store," Chizue said, rolling her eyes.

"Of course I thought about that! But what will they think going into my apartment? They'll probably think a dead body is in there!" Ban exclaimed.

"Please, don't remind me of that smell..." Chizue groaned. "It's far worse than a dead body."

Ban was about to question how Chizue knew that information, but in the process of turning to face her he noticed a rather large amount of people heading in a certain direction. "What's that all about?" he asked.

A man walked by them, and Chizue approached him. "Excuse me; do you know where all of those people are going?" The man turned to face her, and Chizue recoiled. It was Toyoki, the man that had bothered her on the ship!

"Hello there, beautiful," Toyoki said with a smile.

"Just answer my question," Chizue said with a venomous glare.

"Whoa! Whoa! Okay, message received! There's going to be a big public hearing about the Red Lotus or something like that," Toyoki said defensively.

"I see. Let's go, Ban," Chizue said, turning towards her friend, grabbing his arm, and yanking him away as they followed the crowd.

"Who was that guy?" Ban asked. "And why are we going to this?"

"He harassed me on the boat here, and I hope I never see his face again. We're going to this hearing because we will learn quite a bit about what's going on out there. Your mattress can wait."

Ban sighed as he was dragged by his friend to city hall. He made a mental note about the mattress, because he had the feeling this would take quite a bit of time.

"Oh, yes... I encountered the Avatar earlier," Chizue said, loud enough for Ban to hear but quiet enough to shield her words from the many people surrounding them.

"W-What!?" Ban exclaimed in shock, wrenching free of Chizue's grip to stand there, mouth agape.

"Like I knew she was going to talk to him when I was there," Chizue said as she continued following the people towards city hall. Ban followed her.

"Don't you think it's dangerous to be out and about if she knows what you look like?" Ban asked.

"I'm just one person, Ban. Even if she did happen to be here and happened to pick me out in a sea of faces, what proof does she have? We're fine."

They arrived in front of city hall. A large crowd had already gathered in front of the building, and, from the looks of things, the hearing was about to begin.

"Are you sure we should be here?" Ban asked as he observed the surroundings. "Quite a bit of the police is here."

"We're not doing anything illegal. Quit being paranoid," Chizue said dismissively.

"I... suppose you're right..." Ban mumbled as he fidgeted about with worry. Chizue rolled her eyes and tried her best to ignore how neurotic he was being. She was more eager to learn any new details about the Red Lotus' operations in places other than the Earth Kingdom, as that was the only area the media was focusing on.

Chizue was snapped out of her thoughts when Raiko emerged from city hall and walked towards the podium, a sea of camera flashes bubbling out of the press in front of the large crowd as he approached.

"Welcome, citizens of the United Republic. Today we are going to talk about the terrorist organization known as the Red Lotus and the threat they pose. No doubt most of you know about the current situation the Earth Kingdom is in. Because of the actions of one Red Lotus group, the Earth Queen was killed and the inner walls of Ba Sing Se were torn down. Chaos has spread all across the Earth Kingdom as more and more of the Red Lotus came out of hiding. These terrorists are a worldwide threat. By informing the nation of the Red Lotus and raising awareness of their actions, hopefully we can deter any potential threats," the president spoke.

"We have the leader of the Red Lotus group that killed the Earth Queen in custody, Zaheer. His partners in crime have been killed. He is slated for execution for his crimes, and he has told us nothing. Hopefully the execution should demoralize the other Red Lotus groups, but so far they don't seem to have much of a structure. They appear to be extreme anarchists and aim to destroy world leaders and tear down the government. They also tried to kill the Avatar. They may have eyes and ears everywhere, as you will hear from the ambassadors of the other nations now."

As Raiko concluded this introduction, he returned to his seat and the ambassador of the Northern Water Tribe took the stand. He was a middle-aged shrewd man with a hawk-like face. "The Red Lotus has members in the most unlikely of places. Zaheer told the Avatar that the former chief Unalaq used to be one of the Red Lotus in his youth. He since left the organization, but it is obvious that its wickedness stayed with him up until his death. The Northern Water Tribe is secure, and we are constantly on the lookout for any suspicious activity. Just know that Republic City may be peaceful at the moment, but there _are_ Red Lotus out there. We must all remain vigilant in this crisis," the ambassador said before abruptly returning to his seat.

Taking his place was the Southern Water Tribe's ambassador, a woman in her early fifties with a beauty spot to the left of her mouth. She had aged gracefully and was still beautiful, but time's toll was slowly showing on her face with a few wrinkles present. "The Southern Water Tribe is much smaller than our Northern sister, with a more close-knit community. That is still no reason to lower our guard. The same group that killed the Earth Queen attempted to kidnap the Avatar many years ago when she was a small child, taking councilman Sokka's life when he and others came to her aid. There is Red Lotus presence in our tribe, that I have no doubt, and Chief Tonraq has assured me that he is keeping a close eye on everyone. I would advise that you all do the same," she spoke, making a slight bow before walking away from the podium.

Waddling up to the podium was the Fire Nation ambassador, who was rather portly and short, his head being the only thing visible poking up from the stand. He adjusted his glasses with a finger and took a deep breath. "Unlike the Water Tribes," he said, his voice uncharacteristically deep and booming, "there have been a few attempts on Fire Lord Izumi's life. We are keeping close watch on any suspicious activities. The would-be assassins were reportedly amateurs, but we are making sure the danger doesn't escalate any more than it already has. That is all I have to say..."

The fire ambassador walked away from the stand and beckoned for the Earth Kingdom ambassador to take the stage. In stark contrast to the small and fat fire ambassador, the earth ambassador was rather lanky. His body language was quite nervous as he went to the podium, and the curiosity of the audience could practically be felt in the air.

"I am aware news from the Earth Kingdom has been scarce. I have desperately tried to contact Ba Sing Se since the Earth Queen was assassinated. I had to return to the capital to find things out myself. It was rather dangerous, but I was able to make it there back thanks to the assistance of the United Forces. The city is still wrapped in chaos. It broke my heart to see the glorious city reduced to rampant crime and riots. There is a slight glimmer of hope, however. The palace has been secured once more thanks to loyal members of our military. Our military is spread thin trying to reestablish order throughout the kingdom, but with the help of the Air Nation and some of the United Forces, we will slowly but surely restore order!"

The crowd cheered at this, and the ambassador slinked back into his chair as Raiko returned once more to the stand. "It is good news indeed that the Earth Kingdom looks like it will be okay, but it will be quite an ordeal to purge the Red Lotus from the kingdom. Bandits and gangs are also widespread throughout the kingdom, and they will also have to be brought to justice. Rest assured, we will all help to remove these-"

"DIE!" yelled a voice near the front of the crowd. One of the reporters threw his camera to the ground as he leaped up to the stage and rushed towards Raiko, fire daggers forming in both of his hands. The chief of police and a man next to her quickly sprang to their feet. The man drew closer to the assassin and punched some flames towards him as Lin fired some metal wires towards the assassin. He avoided the fire and his fire dagger glowed brightly and cut right through the wire. The crowd began to panic and people behind the podium were starting to scatter. The Southern Water Tribe ambassador waved her arms around, and the spirit vines encroaching on city hall and the other neighboring buildings suddenly lashed out at the assassin, extending towards him at great speeds. The vines knocked the assassin away from Raiko and wrapped him up. Chizue admired the abilities of this woman. She appeared to be a plantbender, and she already had such adept control over the foreign plants that had spread across the city recently.

Raiko stared at the assassin with shock, and the southern ambassador took the podium once more. The crowd started to calm down now that the assassin had been stopped. "Do you see how dangerous the Red Lotus can be?" the woman asked with vigor. "They can be in the guise of anyone! This reporter was among their ranks! You must be very careful here. They seek to plant the seeds of change, and they will use whatever means necessary to obtain that goal."

The assassin stopped struggling against his restraints once he heard the ambassador utter the beginning of the Red Lotus code. Chizue and Ban were also awestruck upon hearing those words

"Do you think...?" Ban started.

"She said it verbatim..." Chizue responded back. Was this woman really one of the Red Lotus? Why would she stop an assassin if that was the case? Could it have been a coincidence that she said those words? No... they were far too poetic for such a punctual ambassador to suddenly use.

"Th-thank you for saving me, Keitsa," Raiko said shakily as he regained his composure. Lin had departed from the stage and was now gathering the police to increase security and investigate things further.

"I think that this hearing should be concluded early because of what just happened. I am sorry that I cannot get to your questions, but I will answer some common ones and give them to the press later on. However, there is one person that I want you all to see before the end of this hearing," Raiko said. He turned to face the people behind him, and motioned towards one of them. The clacking of crutches could be heard as none other than Avatar Korra approached the podium. The camera flashes returned in full force as the crowd began to cheer.

"Thank you all so much! I've almost made a full recovery, and I will help in whatever way I can to stop the Red Lotus! Their days are numbered!" Korra exclaimed with strength. Raiko walked next to the Avatar and said, "That concludes the public hearing. Thank you all for coming!"

As Korra was escorted off of the stage, she happened to glance in Chizue's direction. They locked eyes once more. Chizue grimaced as she dawned upon her that the Avatar realized just who she was.

"Oh man, I'm getting really nervous here!" Ban exclaimed in a hushed tone.

"Keep quiet. Act normal. The Avatar saw me once more," Chizue said calmly as she grabbed Ban's arm and guided him away from the dispersing crowd.

"I _told_ you it was a bad idea to come here!" Ban exclaimed, his inflection rising as that new information increased his anxiety.

"And _I_ told you it would be fine even if she did see me. At worst, the police are going to trail me for being suspicious. I think it will be best that we split up for now. Sorry that I couldn't help you with your new mattress."

Chizue let go of Ban now that they were away from the crowd. "What are you going to do? I'm worried, Chizue," he asked.

"Don't. I'll be fine. I have a strong feeling that the Southern Water Tribe ambassador will get me out of this situation," Chizue said with a smile. Ban was going to object more, but the charming smile and confident words of his friend eased all doubts from his mind.

"Okay. I trust you. Just get back to me soon," Ban said with a wave as he walked away. Chizue began to walk in the other direction. She would wait for the commotion to die down and give the Avatar time to get away from city hall. Once that happened, she would be free to speak with this Keitsa. If that truly was a Red Lotus calling card, then it would be simple to meet with her in private.

Chizue's smile grew wider. Even though the current situation seemed perilous, fortune was still on her side. She had likely just gained an immensely powerful ally, all by chance...


End file.
